Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones concert to raise funds for student trip to Ireland

FLUSHING, Michigan — A concert featuring authentic Irish music Friday may bring luck to students raising money for a trip to the country.

Derek Warfield and The Young Wolfe Tones will perform at 8 p.m. March 6 at the Flushing Valley Golf Club, 1124 E. Main St.

Submitted photoThe Young Wolfe Tones will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at the Flushing Valley Golf Club to raise money for local high school students to take a trip to Ireland in March 2010. The Irish band includes, (from left) Padraig Allen, Derek Warfield (in back), Damaris Woods and Jim Woods.

The show was organized by Ed Sullivan, owner of Sullivan's Irish Alley and his wife, Caron Sullivan, who have arranged a March 31-April 8, 2010 trip to Ireland for high school students.

"If anyone has a commitment deposit in by March 15, the profits from the fundraiser will be split up between them," Caron Sullivan said. "We aren't taking a dime of profit from this."

She said the trip is through Passports, a company that provides travel arrangements and educational guides for students. The teens will see the country with guides and parents can go on the trip.

Landmarks the travelers may see include Dublin Castle, Ha'penny Bridge, Christ Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College, which was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I, and the General Post Office on O'Connell Street, which became the headquarters of the rebels in the Easter Rising of 1916.

"They go through a lot of archeology and history of old sites," Caron Sullivan said. "When we go to Ireland, there is so much history there."

Celeste Hynan, 16, of Flushing is grateful the fundraiser will offset some of the trip's cost..

The Powers Catholic High School student said she has Irish heritage from her mother and father's families.

"It's somewhere I've always wanted to go," Celeste said. "There's a lot of history in that country. I'm going to try to convince some of my friends to go."

Caron Sullivan said Irish music seemed like a perfect fundraiser, so they contacted Warfield, who is a longtime friend.

"He's been around Ireland for 42 years, he has a very distinguished voice and he sings a lot of songs people associate with Ireland," Caron Sullivan said.

The Young Wolfe Tones are comprised of the singer-songwriter Padraig Allen, banjo/mandolin player Damaris Woods and accordion and bodhran player Jim Woods.

Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones have toured the U.S. and Ireland. Their double CD "The Night Is ... Young" includes major hits from the Irish scene, such as "Galway to Graceland," "Grace," "The Foggy Dew," and "Streets of New York."

Warfield and the group also has bestsellers, No. 1 songs, television appearances, and performances at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Royal Albert Hall in London to their credit. Warfield has released 11 solo albums.

Ticket for the event are $25; purchase them in advance at Sullivan's Irish Alley, 104 E. Main St. or www.sullivansirishalley.com.